Could your small action make a big impact?

An Abu Dhabi community group is asking the public to step up and do their part in the fight to get spiralling stray cat populations under control.

Adopt a Cat UAE, founded by Amanda Hyden, is an animal advocacy group that aims to empower residents across the country by giving them the tools, support and information to make a positive impact on a community level.

“It’s like the old adage about teaching a man to fish,” Amanda said. “People are good at hearing the facts and forgetting. We want to arm people with the tools to make a positive difference.

“What we fail to realise is that because we are so transient and we have such a high turnover of people here, we need to make that much more of an effort.”

With an estimated 100,000 stray cats on the streets in Abu Dhabi alone and local groups tackling the rising tide, Amanda says that more help is needed, and it’s lack of information, not compassion, that’s holding efforts back.

“I think people want to take action but when they don’t know how, they feel frozen,” she observed. “If you pick up a sick stray cat, Adopt a Cat UAE can help you. We can give you the resources to get discounted vet fees and support to either release or rehome them.

“We need to turn the corner on the misinformation about strays. If we can spread awareness to one person, it may be one drop in the ocean, but it will cause a ripple.”

Amanda continued, “We want to create a healthy environment here for animals and people, and that comes down to us. If you see something, don’t just say something, do something. We can end the suffering, but we need action.”